


Made to Keep Your Body Warm

by quizasvivamos



Series: Made to Keep Your Body Warm [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Fluff, Intern Kurt, Interns & Internships, M/M, Meteorologist Blaine, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 21:32:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1617764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quizasvivamos/pseuds/quizasvivamos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine is a meteorologist who works as a weatherman for a local New York news station where he's especially well-known for predicting storms. But, when a huge nor'easter blows in and the news crew is trapped at the station for three days, can he predict what happens when he meets a young new intern?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *This story has been previously posted on both FF.net and S&C and is not a new work.

"Five minutes!"

Blaine straightened his bow tie, checked his hair to make sure his gel was still holding up, flattened and smoothed his lapels against his chest and allowed Cecilia to finish powdering his face and securing his mic before rushing out onto the floor to face the cameras. New York City winters were often harsh, but this winter would be especially bad. The Northeast from Maine to Delaware and stretching west across Pennsylvania was about to be hit by one of the worst nor'easter snow storms he has ever predicted or experienced in his lifetime. Now it was time for him to step up and be the bearer of bad news for millions of people. At least he understood the value and importance of his job. It was all about preparedness and safety, and this was all worth it if he could help people.

The lights were on him, burning his eyes slightly and causing them to water, as the cameras and prompter began rolling.

"Good evening! It's Saturday December nineteenth and you're watching NY1 News at Six for the most current up to the minute coverage of your local weather. I'm your weatherman Blaine Anderson, and we have breaking news about the impending snow. An update on our radar tells us that this will not be a mere three to five inches. There is a nor'easter blowing in with wind gusts up to fifty miles per hour, temperatures dropping into the negatives, and anywhere from twelve to thirty-six inches of snow. The storm is expected to arrive around midnight tonight and continue into Monday morning. Please prepare to stay warm indoors, and make sure you're stocked up and ready to keep your family and loved ones safe and secure as we ride out this storm. Tune back in at eleven this evening, or watch the bottom of your screen for updates and school closings. This is your weatherman Blaine Anderson and good night!"

"And that's a wrap!"

Blaine let the smile fall away from his face as soon as the cameras stopped filming. Optimism was expected of him, but, beneath the facade of his profession, he was worried. It's not that he wasn't used to inclement and difficult weather conditions, it's just that he was well aware of the fact that the subways would probably shut down early in attempt to persuade the public to remain indoors, which, of course, would leave him without a way of returning home. Not that his lonely apartment would be a great place to be trapped during this storm either.

He yawned. It was going to be a long weekend. He better get some coffee.

The break room was noisy with the chatter of his coworkers, their assistants, and a few unfortunate interns. Blaine was heading towards the coffee machine when someone bumped into him.

"Oh my - I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to - it's just they gave me all these papers and files to make copies and organize -"

"It's alright, calm down," Blaine smiled, chuckling about how nervous the young man was. He looked to be about twenty, probably a college student. Blaine had never seen him around before. He must be a new intern. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was as he stood before him, his perfectly coiffed chestnut hair, porcelain skin dusted lightly with freckles that he seemed determined to conceal under some sort of powder, his bright blue eyes that contained hints of greens and gray, his slightly upturned nose, and round chin perched beneath perfectly pink lips. He was the essence of youth.

"I'm Blaine Anderson," Blaine said, extending his hand, but realizing the intern was still burdened with documents, he smiled and said, "here, let me help you with these first."

He took half the stack, and they set the piles down on a nearby table.

"Thank you! I'm Kurt, Kurt Hummel," he replied, taking the man's hand. "I'm new here. Just started yesterday, actually. I go to NYU and I was so grateful to receive this opportunity to intern over the winter break," he said grinning. His hand was unexpectedly soft in Blaine's as he held onto it for a split second longer than was necessary before breaking off the handshake.

"That would explain why I hadn't seen you around before. What is your major?"

"Film production. I want to work mostly behind the scenes. One day, though, I hope to write and direct movies. I know...why am I here? I figured a news station was a great place to get experience working with the equipment and a team."

"But- then why do they have you doing a secretary's job?" Blaine questioned. "That doesn't seem very beneficial..."

"I know," he responded shyly and withdrew on himself a little as if wondering if it was too risky to voice his concern.

"It's alright. I understand. They like to take advantage of the interns here, and I don't think that's right. Who's your mentor?"

"Um...it's Mrs. Cohen-Chang. She's great though, really," he added unconvincingly.

"Ah, I'll see what I can do. She happens to be a close friend of mine, and I'm pretty sure she'd care if I had an opinion on the matter," he said winking at Kurt. "Sometimes she gets a little carried away when she has an assistant."

"Wow, thank you so much!" Kurt said beaming and blushing a little as he was not certain how to interpret the wink this older, handsome man had just given him.

"Don't worry about it. I was in your place once, we all were."

"Well, I sh-should probably take care of these files..." he stammered.

Blaine picked up the half stack again from the table.

"Where to?"

"The copy room on the fourth floor."

"Well then, after you," Blaine said gesturing towards the elevator as they exited the break room. Blaine figured there was no harm in assisting the intern. In fact, he had a selfish interest: something was drawing him to this young man, and he was totally okay with possibly getting to know him in the process.

It was nearly impossible to hold a conversation while the machines were running. But Blaine managed to learn that Kurt was from Ohio not far from where he grew up, that he lived with his dad, step-mother and step-brother, and that he was living off campus with a friend from high school who was attending a local performing arts school. Once the machines finally stopped, they gathered up the files and made their way out.

"Now for Mrs. Cohen-Chang, since I'm assuming that's where you're headed next...?"

"Oh, yes. She needs me to bring these back as soon as possible."

"Alright. I've got some time, so I'll be a gentleman and accompany you to her office."

Kurt was speechless and a little nervous. Talking to Blaine was unusually easy, but he was still uncertain about how his interference might affect his internship. He was also uncertain as to what Blaine's intentions were. He seemed to be flirting, but that could just be Kurt's imagination as he had a bad track record of misinterpreting the actions and words of others often leading to unrequited love and heartbreak as the hopeless romantic he was. But he also recognized that Blaine was an older man, and this could be something entirely different. He wasn't even sure if he was gay. That would be just his luck, like usual.

Tina's office was on the fifth floor, and upon entering, Blaine saw that she was currently having a somewhat heated phone conversation with what sounded like her husband.

"I know you want me home during this storm, Mike, but I don't think it will be possible. They expect me to stay at the station until at least one AM, and by that time the storm will probably be in full-effect."

Blaine listened quietly at the door for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

"Oh! Let me call you back, sweetie. I've got a visitor. Hey, Blaine," she said as she placed the phone back on the receiver.

"Hey, Tina. I hear you haven't been very kind to the interns. What have you got to say about that?"

"Blainey, you know me. I just get so carried away when I finally have helping hands. Hey, I see you've met Kurt," she said noticing him as he stepped over towards the filing cabinet to unload his burden.

"Yes, I have. Did you know that he's a film production major? Seeing that you're in charge of the production crew, I don't see why you can't give him better things to occupy his time with rather than doing your dirty work."

Tina smiled. "Touché. You got me there. I'll see what I can do for him."

Just then, the intercom came on in Tina's office:

"Mrs. Cohen-Chang?"

"Yes?"

"We are currently contacting all heads of departments. The snow has arrived early, and transportation has shut down throughout the city. I'm afraid we'll be snowed in at the station tonight and probably into tomorrow if the storm plays out as predicted."

"Very well. Thank you," she responded as the speaker clicked off.

Oh crap, Kurt thought. He better call Rachel so she doesn't worry about him. Where would he sleep though? He shivered as he thought about the snow.

"Excuse me, I need to make a call," Kurt said nervously.

"It's alright, you've been super helpful tonight. Go relax for a bit since we're in for a long weekend," Tina replied.

"Thank you," Kurt replied and slipped out of the office.

"He's cute, isn't he?" she teased Blaine.

"Oh god yes," Blaine almost shouted, laughing at himself.

"He's gay, too, ya know. I'm sure that makes him a lot more qualified in your eyes than I ever was," she joked referencing the hopeless one-sided crush she once had on Blaine back in college.

"Thank god we can joke about it now," he said smiling.

"So what are your plans for tonight? Going to give Kurt a tour of the building...?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"C'mon, it's not like that. He's a sweet kid."

"Sure..." she said, "like you haven't thought about showing him your fancy office with your big comfortable couch and personal bathroom."

"Tina," Blaine said warningly. "Honestly, I was enjoying hearing him tell me about himself. I see a little bit of me in him -"

"Yep," Tina interrupted slyly.

"Okay, I'm leaving. I can't take much more of your not so subtle hinting," he said as he turned to open the door to exit the office.

"He's gonna want that fine ass, Blaine Anderson!" she called out.

"I'll see you later," he said, closing the door firmly behind him.

Blaine walked down the hallway back towards the elevator where he saw Kurt hanging up his phone and looking confused.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Rachel, my roommate, doesn't seem too concerned about me being stuck here, seeing that she has company of the male variety over."

"Oh. I see."

"So, if we're stuck here, is there some sort of lounge where they expect us to wait around, possibly sleep, and hope that the storm blows over...?"

"Well, there is a lounge, then there's the break room which you're familiar with. But I prefer my office. It's roomy and quiet and has a great view. Besides, I usually spend my down time alone...but, I mean, you're welcome to join me, if that's not too much to ask," Blaine said half mumbling as he realized that may have come off the wrong way.

Kurt swallowed nervously.

"There's a piano...and I have books," he added quickly.

Kurt's face lit up at the mention of these things. Did he really have a piano in his office? Kurt wondered, intrigued, nonetheless.

"Okay," he said quietly. "That sounds lovely."

"Shall we, then? I've also got a mini fridge and a supply of snacks and I don't know about you, but I'm starving," he said as he pressed the button for the second floor. They stepped into the elevator and began to descend.

As they approached room two hundred and six, Blaine unlocked the door and led Kurt inside.

"Here we are. It's my home away from home...oh, and there's a bathroom right over there if you need to use it," he said pointing over to the corner of the room. "I think that's important to know seeing as we're stuck here for the night and possibly the weekend."

Kurt was amazed and overwhelmed. Blaine's office was huge. In fact it was bigger than Kurt and Rachel's studio apartment. He walked over to the red leather sofa that lined the one wall of the room and hesitated before sitting down.

"What is the point of this office," Kurt asked, confused and amazed. "I mean, you're like a meteorologist, right...? How do you get any actual work done in here?"

"Well, there's a computer. There's that...and, well basically it's the computer," Blaine laughed. "I think they felt the need to give me this big fancy space to somehow match my job title and time with the station. But, you're right...it's excessive," he concluded, breaking out into laughter again as Kurt joined him.  
After their laughter died down, Blaine spoke again.

"Would you like something to drink? I've got everything from apple juice to protein smoothies to wine."

"You have apple juice? Don't tell me you have juice boxes...?" Kurt grinned narrowing his eyes at Blaine.

"Hey now, don't be a jerk. No, today, sadly, I don't have boxes, just the regular, boring old plastic bottles. How old are you anyway? I didn't think to ask earlier."

"Twenty-one," Kurt replied.

"Really? Or are you just saying that because I mentioned wine? Nah, I'm just teasing you. So that makes you a...?"

"Senior. The spring semester following this internship is my final one at NYU," Kurt explained.

"That's great! Have you been looking around at places to apply yet?"

"I have...looked, I mean, but I kind of just want to pursue something independent for a while, maybe start writing my own stuff...I don't know. It's silly."

"No, Kurt, it's not silly. I understand, trust me. Do you think I always wanted to be 'weatherman Blaine' working for a local news station? I'll tell you something I don't tell most people. When I was nearly finished my degree, I had second thoughts about my future career and my goals in life. I mean, I love science, and I knew I always wanted to be on television, but there was a point where all I wanted to do was be on a stage, in front of hundreds of people, a live audience...playing music."

"I was wondering why you had a piano in here...do you ever play it?"

"Sometimes, when no one is really around. I kind of gave it up after college, at least, I don't play nearly as often. Whoa, it's been like nine years since I graduated," Blaine thought aloud.

Kurt began calculating in his head, trying to guess Blaine's age. He must be around thirty then. Well that's not that old, Kurt thought. Not too old for me anyway, he thought, feeling slightly guilty about his inner monologue as if Blaine might hear him and be completely creeped out. Kurt stood up and walked over to the piano and sat down on the bench.

"May I...?"

"Oh, yeah, if you want to," Blaine was caught off guard for a moment as he was brought back from his thoughts of the past, his thoughts about things he didn't realize he missed up until now. Kurt pushed back the cover over the keys and hovered his fingers over them until he finally let them fall onto a few notes. He wasn't much of a musician, but he had often used the piano to pick out tones as he practiced songs in the past. He also hoped that once Blaine heard it played, that he wouldn't be able to resist.

He was right.

"Is that anything in particular?" Blaine asked curiously.

"Not really. I'm not much for piano," Kurt answered sadly. Blaine got up from his desk, and slowly made his way over to the piano where, to Kurt's delight, he sat himself down next to Kurt on the bench. He placed his hands on the keys and played a few scales, easing into it, trying to get a feel for it again. It was almost too easy, as Blaine realized that it all came back to him quite quickly, naturally as he sped up the movement of his fingers on the keys and played a few chords.

Kurt sat beside him in awe, watching him play.

Blaine was suddenly aware at how lost he was becoming in the music, paused, and then began playing a song.

Oh my. Kurt knew this one. Blaine continued to play a lengthy, partially improvised intro as Kurt began to hum along. Then, he couldn't hold it back any longer, and he opened his mouth to sing as the snow continued to fall outside the window:

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise._

Blaine stopped after the first verse, and stared at Kurt in utter amazement. He was speechless. This man's voice...it was stunning, beautiful, flawless.

"Kurt, that was - that was lovely,' Blaine stammered, completely losing all his composure.

Kurt felt a blush creep up his neck and into his cheeks. He could barely look Blaine in the eye.

"You really think so...?" he said quietly, feeling shy for the first time in a long time. Blaine's gaze was still focused on him as if studying him or something. Kurt looked back into Blaine's eyes, and his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest.

Blaine blinked a few times, scanning Kurt's face, searching for something maybe. His eyes lingered on Kurt's mouth for a moment before returning to his eyes.

Blaine's eyes seemed to be searching for an answer from Kurt to a question he was confident he knew and was capable of giving and, in this moment, was so willing. Kurt gently grabbed Blaine's hand, set it on his leg, and that was all Blaine needed to know before closing the gap between them. It was as if the static electricity in the winter air infused itself with the kiss: as their lips slid together, Blaine made a noise as if he had been shocked. Kurt returned the noise with a soft moan before pressing in even further, drawing out each kiss until finally Blaine pulled away. Kurt inhaled deeply, air returning to his lungs.

"You're amazing, Kurt," Blaine breathed.

Kurt looked away, suddenly shy again, and redirected his gaze over towards the window. The sky was dark now, and the snow was falling heavily. He could hear the wind whistling past the building, beating the snow against the glass and then switching direction again. He stood up from the bench and walked over to the window to gaze out over the parts of the city he could see, but it was mostly all white.

"Kurt, did I do something wrong?" Blaine asked rising from the bench as well, walking over to join Kurt by the window.

"No. It's not that," Kurt began quietly. "You didn't do anything wrong, in fact, nothing has ever felt more right than that kiss...I'm sorry. I just get carried away too easily."

"Please don't apologize. I know exactly what you mean. Kurt - when you sang 'Blackbird', I had a moment where all I could think about was how I wanted nothing more but to remain in that moment listening to you sing, like there was nothing else worth living for."

Kurt felt Blaine slowly wrap his arms around his waist from behind, and Kurt leaned into the embrace. Blaine set his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt closed his eyes allowing himself to relax, taking in the warmth from the body holding him.

"You move me, Kurt," Blaine almost whispered in his ear.

Kurt turned his body around to face Blaine, now wrapping his arms around the back of Blaine's neck. He brought their foreheads together as he gazed longingly into Blaine's eyes. There he saw promise, something that made Kurt feel like nothing could go wrong, something real.

"We've got all night," Kurt whispered back.

"Perhaps all weekend," Blaine added.

"Maybe all month," Kurt said.

"I don't think I can handle that," Blaine began slowly. Kurt stepped back looking utterly disappointed and hurt. "I mean, can this continue once your internship is over? I want to take you on a date, get to know you more, do this the right way," Blaine said.

Kurt felt relieved. "I'd - really like that," he responded, stepping back towards Blaine, wrapping his arms around him once more, and nuzzling his nose into his cheek before resting his head on Blaine's shoulder now. He could get use to this. He could get to know this man, to maybe even love him.

Their lips met again as the snow continued to fall, concealing the city like a great white blanket. At least they were inside, here, together, safe and warm. And the world outside was silent.

_All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise_


	2. Chapter 2

As predicted, the snow continued to fall. Kurt was now sitting on the sofa flipping through some of the books on Blaine's shelf. Many of the books looked like they had been there for years, left over from college courses, the ones that must have been valuable enough to not sell back. But those were not the ones that interested Kurt. As he ran his finger along the spines of the books on the shelf, mouthing silently the titles, he came across Tolkien, every book ever written by Vonnegut, and the complete works of Shakespeare, a very large and heavy volume that looked worn from use.

After returning _Cat's Cradle_ to the shelf, Kurt pulled the Shakespeare book off the shelf and opened to the table of contents. He hadn't read a lot of his work, a few sonnets here and there and, of course, the popular plays that every apathetic high school student had to read, but now he was curious. Blaine seemed to love this book.

Blaine had left the office to film the evening report leaving Kurt to his own devices. But he had returned since and had been sitting quietly at his computer, deep in thought, as he checked email and the latest information on the storm. Looking up from his computer now, Blaine saw Kurt with the book, thoughtful expression on his face as he skimmed the first few pages. He swiveled his chair around to face Kurt, a grin playing across his face.

"Have you read much Shakespeare?" Blaine asked, amused, stirring Kurt who looked up from the book slightly embarrassed.

"I've only read Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, but it was so long ago that I don't really remember them," he admitted. "Besides, what kid in high school actually understands this stuff?"

Blaine laughed quietly.

"Let me direct you to one of my favorites," he said, rising from his seat at the desk to join Kurt on the sofa. "I don't know why exactly, but I've always enjoyed The Tempest...maybe it's the storm thing," he said, laughing at himself. Kurt snickered. After flipping to nearly the end of the collection, Kurt began to read the play.

"I have a few more emails to respond to, so I'll let you be for a little while. I think you'll like it," he said, placing a hand gently on Kurt's shoulder and smiling before returning to his desk. Kurt was disappointed that he no longer had this man's body close to him. He wished they could have sat there together reading and maybe cuddling, but then he felt rather childish. Blaine had work to do. Kurt shivered.

Outside was pure white and now nothing could be seen of the city through the heavy flakes. Blaine was attempting to keep his mind on his work, but it kept wandering back to Kurt. He glanced over a few times as Kurt read. He couldn't act like what had just happened between them hadn't. If he were to say that there was an awkward moment after, he'd be lying. It felt so natural, and, even now, as he sat there working and Kurt sat there reading, it felt domestic even. It was comfortable. The strangest part of it all was how they were still practically strangers but had grown up so close to each other.

Kurt wasn't a child, but there was a significant age difference. Blaine didn't know how he felt about this, but he couldn't deny the fact that there was more than chemistry between them, there was electricity, explosions even. And it made him feel young again and took him back to a time when he used to get excited about dates and parties and meeting new people, when he entertained the idea of romance. But that part of his life had seemed to end somewhere along the way. Whatever it is that seems to happen when you become an adult, had happened. He went on a few casual dates over the past few years, but they never turned into anything serious. Either the men bored him, or they couldn't seem to form a relationship as they both juggled full-time careers that often required late nights and early mornings making it impossible to keep up with each other. So he continued to live alone.

An hour or so passed as he worked. Glancing at the bottom right corner of the screen, Blaine saw that it was nearing one-thirty in the morning. He yawned, pushed the keyboard tray in, and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes, then looked over at Kurt again. A moment passed before Kurt smiled to himself and closed the book in his lap. He looked up and saw Blaine watching him again and smiled back.

"So...this Prospero guy. He was exiled to the island for reading too many books, huh?" Kurt asked.

"Yep. Then he happened upon some magical objects that helped him take control over said island," Blaine answered, stretching his arms and legs.

"I better be careful then," Kurt joked. "But, I admit, I wouldn't mind the magical powers. I waited forever for my Hogwarts letter. It never came," he said, pouting. Blaine laughed.

"It doesn't hurt to dream. I just had to take my head out of the clouds - well, I guess they are technically always still in the clouds - but you know what I mean. Something happens when you get to be my age. You realize that this is your life now, and you have to figure something out that's going to put dinner on your table and pay the bills. Dreams are really nice, but sometimes they don't...I'm so sorry, I don't mean to sound morbid," Blaine said, noticing Kurt looking suddenly sad.

"No, it's alright," Kurt responded softly. "This is nothing new to me. I've heard it all from the career center on campus. That's why I'm here of course," he said, waving his hand around to gesture at the room around him. "They said I need to enter a practical field, to get my foot in the door for an _actual_ career. No offense, I'm sure working here is great, but I don't think it's for me," he said, looking down at the closed book in his lap.

Blaine studied Kurt for a moment. Here was a young kid, future still bright, hopes high and thinking he can take on the world. Anyone else would think he was naive, that he was ignoring the real world, living in a fantasy. But that's the thing. Blaine didn't think he was naive or that he was being foolish for chasing an impractical dream. Perhaps if Blaine had himself pursued his own impossible dream he might have found that it wasn't impossible after all. But he hadn't, so it was too late to find out now. He may never know.

"...a dream deferred?" Blaine quietly mused.

"What?"

"Nothing...Langston Hughes. Oh god, I'm a raisin, aren't I? A dried up old raisin," Blaine said. He sighed. "Kurt - maybe you're right, and I'm the one who has been so incredibly wrong this whole time. I do love my job, honestly, but it's obvious that I haven't actually let go of past dreams," he said, pointing to the piano and laughing.

"It's not too late," Kurt said. "I don't think it's ever too late to try."

Blaine looked at him again curiously. He wasn't sure how much he actually believed what Kurt was saying, but maybe he had a point. He could appreciate Kurt's ambition and drive. He may even have been a bit envious.

Kurt opened the book again with no real intention of reading further. He played with the cover in his hand, gently flipping it open and closed a few times as if contemplating whether to move forward or to remain quiet and let Blaine speak.

"So...how did you like the play?" Blaine finally asked, bringing the topic back to the previous one. The current one was becoming a little difficult to continue.

"I really liked it, especially how Prospero orchestrates what the characters on the island do as they are moved by the music and the sights. But he's not evil. I almost thought this was a revenge story, but then he decided to take off the cloak and forgive those who wronged him," Kurt said.

"It's a romance," Blaine explained. "It's not necessarily the type of romance that we're used to - there are no sparkling vampires and beautiful young heroines who need saving - but, nonetheless, there's something about it..." he trailed off, laughing a bit.

"He created a storm, a storm to bring the people together onto the island," Kurt said.

"Yes, that's right," Blaine responded.

"And a storm brought us together tonight," Kurt said softly, shyly, as he looked back up at Blaine.

Warmth spread through Blaine's chest as he looked at Kurt again. This man was doing something to him that he couldn't explain. Everything about him was intriguing, and he just wanted to know more, to spend more time with him. Maybe it would rub off on him, his apparent optimism and youthful whims. And, hell, he actually seemed to be genuinely engaged with the story, something close to Blaine's heart.

"It's extremely late - well, early, actually," he said, rising from his seat at the desk again. "I think I'm through with work tonight. Did you want to go back down to the lounge and find somewhere to sleep...? I mean, you don't have to leave, I'm not trying to kick you out." He walked over to where Kurt was sitting and lifted the book from his lap to place it back on the shelf. Kurt yawned, and Blaine decided he didn't want him to go.

"You can sleep there on the couch if you want," Blaine offered, hoping it wasn't too much.

"Okay," Kurt said blinking hard as his eyelids became increasingly heavy. "Thank you," he said, slipping off his shoes and bringing his legs up to curl up against the arm with one of the two decorative pillows that had sat there.

"Let me get you a blanket," Blaine said, walking over towards the bathroom where he had a few things stored for emergencies like this. He returned to Kurt whose eyes were already closed. Gently wrapping the blanket around his frame, Blaine stood there for a moment wondering where he would settle down, if he could even sleep.

"Stay with me...?" Kurt said, drowsily.

"Okay," Blaine said quietly, grinning like a fool. He sat down on the other end of the sofa and relaxed into the back, closing his eyes. Kurt sat up and shifted his body to lean against Blaine and then closed his eyes again. Blaine opened his eyes to look at Kurt who's head was now practically in his lap. He ran his fingers through Kurt's hair which was soft now that the product in it had gradually worn off over the course of the evening. Then Blaine closed his eyes again as he felt the other man's body move ever so slightly as his breathing steadied.

-s-

Blaine felt like he had just drifted off when the phone in his office rang, startling and rousing him. He gently shifted Kurt's body so that he could rise from the couch to answer the call.

"Hey, Blaine," Tina greeted him on the other end.

"Good morning, Tina," he said through a yawn.

"Listen, I'm gonna need my intern back. We're about to start preparing for the morning report, and I need him on the floor. You said you wanted me to give him something of worth to do, right?"

"What makes you think that I know where he is...?" Blaine asked shrewdly.

"Oh, puh-lease, Anderson. Do you take me for an idiot? He hasn't been around all night, he never went to the lounge with the other interns, and the last person anyone saw him with was a very dashing, dark-haired gentleman who seemed to take a _liking_ to him," Tina said, knowingly. She snickered.

"Alright, you got me. He's here on my sofa. I'll wake him up and send him down," Blaine responded.

"Good," Tina said. "Because he's working the prompter today."

"WHAT?!" Blaine gasped.

"I'm giving him real responsibility. I mean, of course George will still be there to assist him, but it's all about Kurt now. You asked, and I am giving it to you," she said. "Now receive it, and send him down ASAP."

She hung up the call. Blaine set the phone back down and looked over at Kurt. His hair was mussed from sleep, and whatever had been on his face the previous day had come off as he slept revealing an array of freckles. Blaine grinned and was about to open his mouth to speak when Kurt beat him to it.

"I heard it all," Kurt said groggily. "Let me just get myself together before I head down there," he said sitting up, stretching, and then headed to the bathroom.

"You don't have any hairspray?" Kurt called out a few moments later.

Blaine walked over to the bathroom where the door was left open and stood in the doorway. Kurt looked dejected, his face slightly splotchy, as he stared into the mirror at himself trying to fix his stubborn hair.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I only have gel."

Kurt snorted.

"What? I'll have you know that gel has never steered me wrong. In fact, it's been working for me since high school," he said.

"I can tell," Kurt teased.

"Alright, Hummel, that's enough. Maybe this pomade will be more to your liking?" he said opening the cabinet and placing it on the top of the sink.

"I guess it will have to do," Kurt said, grinning.

"Feel free to use anything in here, the shower included, but don't take too long because Tina is expecting you," he said as he closed the door to the bathroom to give Kurt his privacy.

Blaine began to gather his things as Kurt finished up in the bathroom so that he could immediately get in there to prepare for the day. Kurt would be working the prompter, and Blaine would be giving the morning weather report. Suddenly, he felt the sensation of butterflies in his stomach. Nerves? After all these years at the station? Then Kurt stepped out of the bathroom, grinning at Blaine before walking over to leave the office. Right. It definitely wasn't the morning report that was making him nervous.

"I'll see you soon," Kurt said, waving. He exited the office.

Blaine swallowed. It was almost unreal how perfect Kurt was, how he made Blaine feel...he felt alive again.

He entered the bathroom, turned on the shower, slipped out of his clothes, and got in.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine looked straight into the camera as the crew counted down to "action".

"Good morning, New York. It's Sunday December twentieth and you're watching NY1 News for your early morning coverage of your local weather. As always, I'm your weatherman, Blaine Anderson, and I'm here with your up to the minute coverage of the storm." He paused, and glanced away from the prompter briefly as a pair of bright blue eyes caught his attention. He swallowed nervously before refocusing his gaze on the screen. "We have already received six to eight inches, and the snow has yet to let up. According to our radar, it seems that the snow will continue into tomorrow morning. Remember to stay inside and keep warm. I'm your weatherman, Blaine Anderson, and don't forget to join us for the evening news at six!"

"That's a wrap. Good job, Mr. Anderson."

Blaine looked over at Kurt who was still perched behind the prompter next to George who seemed to be showing him what the rest of the controls were for. Kurt glanced up, and his face lit up as Blaine approached the two, but he soon redirected his gaze back to the controls.

"So what you're saying is that I could technically change the display on the prompter with the flip of this switch here..." Kurt said slyly.

"Technically, yes,"George laughed. "But we can't get too carried away here, can't mess up our guys -"

"Is Kurt doing alright, George?" Blaine asked as he stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, he's great. Catches on very quickly with the equipment," he said, smiling. "I can see him working here in no time."

"That's great to hear. Kurt, if you're not busy, would you mind joining me in the break room for coffee?" Blaine asked, nodding at George.

"Not at all," Kurt said, rising from his seat behind the prompter.

Tina side-eyed Blaine from across the room, which Blaine answered with a pleading look, that was then returned with a dismissive wave of the hand and a roll of the eyes.

"Sorry I can't take you on a real coffee date just yet," Blaine apologized. "At least the coffee here is usually fresh considering how many pots we go through in a day," he said with a laugh.

"It's alright. I'm a college student, I'm used to drinking any grade of coffee I can lay my hands on, and it's usually not gourmet or fresh," he joked.

They made their way into the break room and found a table near the corner. Kurt sat down while Blaine poured two cups of coffee and brought them over to the table.

"So, speaking of you being a college student, I'd love to hear about your life on campus," Blaine said, taking a seat across from Kurt.

"Well, like I said, I live off campus, so I don't really spend much time there besides during and between classes. My dad and Rachel's dads pay for the rent at the apartment so that we don't have to get jobs while we're here," Kurt said before taking a sip of his beverage.

"That's great, it's always good to have one less thing to worry about. Your roommate, you said she attends a performing arts school...?"

"NYADA, yeah. She wants to be on Broadway one day, always has ever since high school, at least, that's as long as I've known her."

"I see she has big dreams too. I honestly think it's amazing that you can still look at the world in the way you do," Blaine said, his eyes becoming sad.

"It was never very hard for me. I always kind of knew what I wanted to do, and I never let anything get in my way," Kurt said shrugging.

"That's very admirable."

Blaine paused and looked down at the table, and Kurt noticed that he seemed to be struggling with something internal which was evident from his expression. He stared at Blaine for a moment before Blaine finally lifted his eyes back up to look at Kurt. He took a few sips of his coffee and smiled slightly before continuing.

"What do you guys do in your free time, I mean, when you aren't on campus?"

"Rachel likes to perform, of course, so there's this place we go called 'Callbacks' where she tends to hog the stage on open mic nights. She drags me along and always tries to get me to sing with her, but I won't," Kurt explained.

"Why not? You have a wonderful voice..."

"You're one of the only people to tell me that," Kurt said quietly.

Blaine sat in silence for a moment, staring into his coffee. His one hand was wrapped around the cup and the other was resting on the table's surface. He sighed.

"What would I have to do to get you to sing during that open mic?"

A mischievous look flashed across Kurt's face.

"Sing with me."

"Oh. No, no I don't think I could do that, I'm really not very good," Blaine said, shaking his head.

"Then no one will ever get me up on that stage," Kurt said simply.

"Oh, really? That's how you're going to be? Alright, I'll play your game, but just know that I tend to win," Blaine said with a smirk. "I'll sing one song with you, and only one song." He wasn't sure yet if he'd regret this promise, but he wanted so badly to give into Kurt's proposition, if only to hear him sing again.

Kurt beamed and grabbed Blaine's hand and held it on top of the table. Blaine hadn't held someone's hand in ages. He had forgotten how nice it could be. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw Tina approaching. He frowned knowing that it was only a matter of time.

"Hey, sorry to ruin your fun, but I need Kurt to help me with a few things. He is my intern, after all," Tina said.

"Right. Guess I forgot," Blaine said. "Sorry, Kurt. We'll have to cut this short. But, 'Callbacks'...?"

"It's a date," Kurt said beaming. Kurt stood up and followed Tina out of the room smiling apologetically at Blaine who shrugged. He knew he was lucky enough to get the time that he did get with Kurt, and he wasn't going to argue. He should get back to his office, get some work done, and prepare for the evening report. He pushed his chair in, tossed the now empty coffee cups in the trash, and made his way out of the break room.

-s-

Kurt stepped into the elevator behind Tina, and she pressed the button to take them to her office on the fifth floor. Then she turned to Kurt with a smirk on her face, and Kurt suddenly became very nervous. He was cornered, and she looked like a hungry dog.

"So...you two have been spending quite a bit of time together. I kind of knew, once I saw that you two had met, that you would hit it off," she said smiling.

"Oh. Really? I mean, how?" Kurt was confused by Tina's assertions.

"You know I have your resume on file, and I learned a lot about you from it. Also, Blaine has been my best friend since we were undergrads and throughout graduate school, and I know what he's into - and _who_ he's into. Of course, _I_ wasn't his type," she joked. Kurt blushed a little and adjusted his collar in attempt to cover it up. When what Tina just said finally registered, Kurt started nervously.

"Wait - Blaine went to graduate school?" Kurt questioned, panicking slightly.

"Of course. Oh...don't tell me - did he not even tell you how old he is?"

"Well, no. And I didn't feel it was right to ask. I just assumed..."

Tina laughed. "Don't worry, he's only thirty-four, but he looks younger than he is. He kinda sped through his courses, a bit of a nerd actually," she added.

Kurt snickered. He had already gathered that from the time he spent with Blaine so far, but Kurt found Blaine's passion for things like literature and music incredibly endearing, and, anyway, he kind of considered himself a nerd too.

"I met Blaine our sophomore year in a public speaking class. Trust me, he was not as suave back then. In fact, he had this ridiculous mop of curly hair - a little longer than it is now - which he still tried to style with gel, and he was not very eloquent. But he's always been really smart and insightful, and, of course, he's got some pretty nice _assets_ ," Tina winked. "He's so sweet, though, which I'm sure you know by now."

"Yeah, he's very kind," Kurt responded, trying to remain as professional as possible. But he was well aware of how sweet Blaine was and how easily he could make him melt.

"Oh, and that's not even the tip of the iceberg. I have so many stories about him!" she said excitedly. "He didn't really go out much in college, besides when I would drag him along to things, but when he did, he became a completely different person." The doors of the elevator opened, and they stepped out and headed down the hall towards their destination. Tina continued.

"I guess he was a closeted theater geek, because no one would have expected it from this quiet guy who sat reading science texts all day. A few drinks in him, and I could get him singing and dancing around. And he loved dancing on furniture for some reason, which I thought was hilarious," she laughed, a distant look in her eyes as if she was recalling some very fond memories.

Tina seemed to enjoy talking, so Kurt let her go on. He was learning some pretty juicy information about Blaine that could come in handy in the future. And, although he found Tina's inclination to gossip to be a bit unprofessional, it was kind of nice to hear about Blaine from one of his close friends. They reached the office and entered, closing the door behind them. Tina sat at her desk and gestured for Kurt to pull the chair around from the front of her desk to sit next to her. He sat down, relaxed into the chair, and crossed his legs.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but since we're well past crossing boundaries - and I assume you and Blaine are too - I can't help myself. One time we went out to a party our senior year, and Blaine, who usually only drinks beer, decided to take a few shots of something much harder. Let's just say he got a little out of control. I had seen him drunk before, but this time was different. He climbed up on the host's kitchen table and belted out 'Part of Your World' from The Little Mermaid. He acted out the whole damn thing. When it was over, everyone cheered before laughing - most likely at him - the rest of the night," she said.

"No way!" Kurt gasped, trying to stifle a giggle. Although, he could never picture the Blaine he knows doing that, he knew he wouldn't be able to look at him the same way again. However, he felt a bit guilty that Tina was giving him such personal information about Blaine that he hadn't chosen to tell him himself. At least, not yet.

"Mmhmm. They teased him so much after that, even though he actually sounded quite good. I felt so bad for him. He was so embarrassed that he stopped going to parties. It was so difficult to get him to do anything for a while. He would hide in his dorm like a hermit and just sit on his bed reading. But enough about him, I want to know about you now," she said excitedly.

Kurt was startled by this quick change in topic, and he sat up straight, uncrossing his legs, and swallowed nervously.

"I know you're a senior at NYU, and you're on the Dean's List, but what I found really interesting were your listed activities from high school. You were in glee club?" Tina asked.

"Yeah, we were national champions my senior year," Kurt explained, "but I never got back into it, singing, in college. I decided I preferred working behind the scenes."

Tina sat back in her chair. "Sometimes, but not very often, I would encounter Blaine in a very sentimental mood, and he'd go on and on about how he just wanted to play music and make art. But, lately, he seems tired and uninterested. I think, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I think that you could be something really good for Blaine," Tina said earnestly.

Kurt grinned. He and Blaine did seem to have this unusual connection from the beginning, and he thought about what Tina said, about how Blaine had changed. Maybe she believed that Blaine's potential had gone to waste over the past few years, that he wasn't truly happy, and that maybe hanging around Kurt could open him back up to certain things.

"So, I overheard that you two made a date to go to some place called 'Callbacks'? What was that about?" Tina questioned, seemingly very interested.

"It's a small bar near campus that holds open mic nights. My roommate and I go there a few times a month," Kurt explained.

"I see. So, you don't feel weird bringing Blaine along, ya know, because of the age thing?"

"No...why would I feel weird?" It hadn't really occurred to Kurt, how the age difference might come into play, but he wouldn't be ashamed to have Blaine around his friends. In fact, they would probably give him kudos for landing this guy, especially since he was a public figure, even though he might not really be that well-known by his peers. But Kurt wasn't worried because he thought Blaine was interesting, really charming, and could win over anyone he introduced him to.

"Alright, if you're being honest, then that's pretty cool of you," Tina said. "I could see this resulting in something really great." She smiled warmly. "Is he going to sing...?"

"Yes!" Kurt said, eyes shining. "I got him to agree to one song, but he'll only sing if I sing too."

"Interesting," she said, drawing out each syllable. She paused as if thinking hard about something. Then she spoke again. "Alright, I really enjoyed this little chat, but," Tina looked over at the clock on her computer, "unfortunately, I've got a bit of work to do, and I've a few things for you too. I'll need you to run a few files to some colleagues. Don't worry, it's not nearly as much as last time. And when you're finished, you can relax again," she said pulling the files from her desk drawer.

"Okay, thank you so much," Kurt said, rising from his chair and taking the files from Tina.

"The names of the recipients are on top. Just don't wander off too far." She laughed. "Who am I trying to kid? I'll know where to find you," Tina finished, rolling her eyes.

Kurt hesitated briefly, smiling to himself, and then turned around to leave the office.


	4. Chapter 4

Armed with this new knowledge about Blaine, Kurt went about his errand with a grin on his face of which he couldn't rid himself. Imagining how Blaine was when he was his age was both amusing and intriguing. He wondered if he had met someone like undergrad Blaine on campus whether or not they would have hit it off like he and Blaine did now. Kurt really liked Blaine, and he hoped that what people said about age being just a number was true. Sure, Blaine had a lot more life experience than Kurt, but people always told him he was mature for his age. He never really got along too well with his peers and gravitated toward adults because he found them easier to relate to and far more interesting. What he couldn't stop thinking about, though, was how Tina seemed genuinely concerned about Blaine when it came to his change in attitude toward things he used to enjoy and what she seemed to think Kurt had to offer him.

He knocked on the door to the final of the eight offices to which he had to deliver the files, was greeted at the door with a thank you and a nod of the head, and then the door was shut again. Kurt was now empty-handed. He walked down the hall a short distance until he came to a window where he paused, crossing his arms, to watch the snow which was still falling fairly steadily.

Blaine glanced at his watch. He had just finished up with the six o'clock report, and he was having himself a stroll through the building with no real destination. Well, he was hoping he'd run into a certain someone. So, when he turned the corner and saw Kurt standing there by the window at the end of the hall, he smiled and headed towards him.

The sound of footsteps approaching stirred Kurt from his trance, and he turned around to see who it was.

"Hey, Blaine," Kurt said.

"Are - are you by any chance finished whatever Tina gave you to do?" Blaine asked nervously.

"Yeah. I just delivered the last file, and she said it's alright for me to relax again," Kurt said as he watched Blaine for a moment. Tina's story was still fresh in his mind, and he began imagining Blaine on the table. He tried to stifle a laugh and ended up snorting.

"Kurt - what's so funny?" Blaine asked confused.

"It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it," he said smiling widely.

Blaine was fidgeting a little, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and Kurt had never seen him like this, like he had something he really needed to say but couldn't.

"Okay," Blaine said, but he was now skeptical and visibly uncomfortable. "Will you join me in my office again? I just - I would like to talk for a while."

"Of course," Kurt responded. It was still difficult to look Blaine in the eye. Blaine was very aware of Kurt's strange behavior and it was making him self-conscious. Kurt noticed and began to feel guilty. They would go talk, and, Kurt knew himself well enough to know he would end up admitting to Blaine what he had found out.

They took the elevator down to the second floor and made their way to Blaine's office. Kurt took a seat on the sofa like before, and Blaine rolled his desk chair up a short distance from the couch to face Kurt. Kurt was now grinning stupidly at Blaine without realizing it.

"That's enough. What are you so happy about?" Blaine asked a little agitated.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine. Um, it's just that, well, Tina decided to tell me some college stories about you two -"

"Oh god no," Blaine said grimacing, and then ran his hands through his hair. "Don't tell me she told you about - about the table incident?" Blaine asked, knowing that Tina was never planning on letting him live it down.

"Yeah. She did," Kurt said quietly, looking down at his hands in his lap and unable to look at Blaine.

"I should have known. Give me a chance to at least explain myself because I'm sure she made it sound much worse than it was - on second thought, no, it really was _that_ bad," Blaine said hanging his head.

"If it makes you feel any better, I once danced on top of a piano during an audition," Kurt said.

A small smile flickered across Blaine's face. "An audition? For what? I thought you didn't sing much," Blaine asked.

"I used to back in high school. It was an audition for the school musical. I didn't get the part, but at least my audition was entertaining," Kurt said, raising his eyebrows and shrugging.

"Well, now you know my dirty little secret," Blaine said. "I hope it doesn't make you think any less of me."

"No. I thought it was great," Kurt said grinning again. "I admire you for it." He meant it. Anyone who had the guts to get up and perform was wonderful in Kurt's book. "But you know that that means you _definitely_ have to sing for me now," he said smirking.

Blaine groaned and covered his face with his hands. He slowly slid his hands down to reveal a huge grin he couldn't hold back. "I said I would, but I _refuse_ to sing any Disney songs. That was a nightmare."

"Deal. You can choose the song," Kurt said. He reached down to untie his shoes, slid them off, and curled up on the couch like before.

The mention of the horrible story from his past made Blaine momentarily forget his original concern. But then he remembered what he wanted to talk about, the thing that had been bothering him all day following the latest update from the radar. He stood up and moved to the couch next to Kurt. He felt awkward now, but he slowly reached for Kurt's hands which he willingly gave him to hold. They sat there in silence for a while before Blaine finally spoke.

"Kurt. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to meet you and to spend time with you. It's been less than two days, and I really feel like there's this unexplainable connection between us," he said. "It's just - I'm really looking forward to our date once we finally get out of here." He couldn't bring himself to say what he really wanted to say.

"Me too," Kurt replied. Blaine looked at Kurt and smiled again. "C'mon, Ariel, cuddle with me and stop looking so sad," Kurt teased.

"Thanks," Blaine said sarcastically, but smiled and moved in closer to Kurt on the sofa. This time, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him in close to his body. Blaine hadn't noticed until now just how strong Kurt was and how much bigger his body was compared to Blaine's. It felt really nice to be held like this. The back of his head came to rest on Kurt's shoulder, his back against his chest. Kurt's arms were wrapped around his waist as they sat there just enjoying each other's touch. Blaine tried to clear his mind, but he had the same nagging concern that wouldn't go away.

He's only a kid, Blaine thought, as much as he tried to justify a relationship in his mind. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to him or that he thought it could never work out, but he knew that the snow would end tomorrow, and his schedule would go back to normal. He probably wouldn't see Kurt around all that much, because Tina would have him working on different things. He had a lot of time to think throughout the day as he was working, and he knew that, ultimately, once the internship was over, Kurt was still a college student, a free spirit, and Blaine was afraid that he would no longer be interested. But he couldn't ruin this moment. He didn't want to. He decided he would wait to bring it up at a more pressing time.

-s-

Kurt had fallen asleep on the couch. Blaine left him alone the remainder of the night and leaned back in his desk chair drifting in and out of sleep until the sun finally rose and made it impossible for him to keep his eyes closed any longer. He turned his chair around to gaze out the window. The snow had completely stopped. He rose from his chair, and stretched his tired limbs. He headed over to the bathroom to prepare for the final two reports after which he would be dismissed and allowed to go home for a few days, assuming that public transportation was up and running again.

As he straightened his tie, he watched Kurt who was still somehow asleep. Tina didn't come calling for him this time, so he let him be. Blaine leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Kurt's forehead before heading out of the office and off to work. The storm was over now.


	5. Chapter 5

The city sent out crews to clean up the streets on Monday, and by the time they were finished broadcasting the six o'clock news, the subways had reopened, and it was time for Blaine to head home. But before he grabbed his jacket and high-tailed it out of the station, there was one thing he had to do. He spotted Kurt over by Tina with some other members of the production crew, and he headed towards them.

"Kurt, can I see you for a second?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" he responded, stepping away from the group.

"Before I forget, I wanted to exchange numbers so we can properly keep in touch with each other, especially since I'll be going back to my usual schedule and probably won't see you around as often," Blaine explained.

"Of course! Give me your phone," Kurt said smiling. Blaine handed it over. "Here, take mine," Kurt said handing his phone to Blaine. They programmed their numbers into each other's phones then handed them back. They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Kurt reached forward and hugged Blaine. He didn't know why, but as he wrapped his arms around Kurt it really felt like goodbye, and Blaine was feeling a bit disconsolate. He knew he would see Kurt again, so he didn't know why he was worrying.

"I'll see you soon?" Blaine said as he let go of Kurt.

"I'll text you when we're going out," Kurt said.

"Okay," Blaine responded.

Blaine stared into Kurt's brilliant, blue eyes and grinned. Those eyes were for him, Kurt's beautiful, bright, youthful eyes that saw so much hope for the future. Blaine felt hopeful now too. He smiled again, waved, and then turned around to head back to his office to grab his belongings so he could finally head home for some much needed rest.

-s-

The snow had been gradually melting, and, a week later, it had been reduced to a dirty slush and heaps of filthy, blackened snow that sat in small mountains in parking lots, pushed up against buildings, and at the corners of city sidewalks. It was a Thursday, as Kurt trudged through the slush on campus, his scarf pulled up over his mouth and nose to fight the chilly air, when he finally texted Blaine.

**_Rachel and I are heading over to Callbacks tonight. Do you want to meet us there?_ **

_Sure. Just give me the address. I can't wait :)_

Kurt typed out the address and pressed send.

_Thanks! I think I know where that is actually_

**_Good :) be there around nine_ **

_see you later_

**_see you soon!_ **

-s-

Blaine hadn't been on a date in months. He almost forgot how these things went, and he wasn't sure what he should even wear. He didn't go out much at all anymore. So he tore apart his closet until he found a pair of dress pants, a polo, and a cardigan. He dug through his drawer until he found a nice bowtie to go with the outfit. Once he styled his hair down, he looked into the mirror. There were faint lines in his face and creases by his eyes that he hadn't properly seen before, or, at least, he hadn't felt so self-conscious about it up until this point. He shook his head, straightened his bowtie, and turned the light out in the bathroom. Blaine grabbed his jacket and headed out the door to meet Kurt and his friends.

He stepped off the subway train and made his way up to the sidewalk. The small bar sat across the street, and Blaine could see the neon sign lit up and buzzing in the front window. As he crossed the street, he saw a small group of people waiting outside the door. He immediately recognized Kurt and quickened his pace.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine said smiling as he approached the group.

"Hey! Guys, this is Blaine Anderson," Kurt said turning to address the couple standing beside him.

"I've heard so much about you," Rachel said extending her hand to Blaine. "I'm Rachel Berry, Kurt's roommate, and this is Brody Weston," she said as the other man also shook Blaine's hand.

"It's so nice to meet you," Blaine said cordially.

"We better head inside now before all the slots are taken up," Rachel said. "And it's chilly out here," she added rubbing her hands together through her mittens.

Blaine stepped into the small, dimly lit bar behind Kurt, Rachel, and Brody. Rachel led them over to a table right by the stage, her usual spot it seemed, and they all sat down. Blaine felt eyes on him as he sat there next to Kurt. He looked up and scanned the room where he saw multiple small groups of chattering college-age kids. Some people glanced away as he made eye contact. He must have stuck out in this crowd, and, before long, it began to get to him.

He didn't belong here. This was a hangout for people much younger than himself, for people who were Kurt's age, college students. He suddenly felt very old and extremely out of place: he wasn't even dressed like the others here.

Rachel got up and put her name on the list to perform. The server came around to ask if they wanted drinks, and she looked straight at Blaine as if he was the chaperone of the group, or maybe she assumed he was the one paying the bill and making the orders just because he was, well, older. He could have just been imagining it, but, regardless, it made him even more uncomfortable. He had to get out of here. He felt so bad about it, about leaving Kurt when they had this date planned for so long, but there was no way this was going to work out for him.

"Excuse me, guys. Kurt - I need to make a phone call," Blaine said, pushing his chair back and rising from the table, his phone out in his hand.

Kurt was confused. "But Rachel was just about to go on, and I had her put our name on the list to go after her -"

"Kurt," Blaine said sternly. He really didn't want to argue with Kurt if it could be avoided.

"Alright," he said, disappointment evident in his voice.

He watched as Blaine made his way out of the building and stood by the entrance with his phone in his hand. Blaine paced for a few minutes and then stopped to text Tina.

_What am I doing?_

**_idk. what are you doing? why are you asking me?_ **

_idk what I was thinking coming out here with him_

**_are you talking about your date with Kurt? what happened?_ **

_nothing happened. I was just fooling myself thinking that he wasn't too young for me. this was all a huge mistake_

**_calm down there. it's not a mistake. you two have something special, and even I could see that_ **

_no. I need to get out of here_

**_Blaine, you promised Kurt_ **

**_Blaine?_ **

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and ran his hands through his hair, fighting through the gel, almost yanking it out in frustration. He paced again and then began walking down the block away from the building. When he was about two blocks away, he turned around. He couldn't just leave Kurt without an explanation as to why.

Rachel finished her song, and there was applause. Kurt and Blaine were next, but Blaine hadn't come back into the bar. He looked over out of the front window again and saw that Blaine was no longer outside. He was nowhere in sight. Kurt's stomach dropped. He quickly got up out of his seat and rushed for the door, ignoring the announcement of their names as they were called to the stage.

"Kurt!" Rachel called out, but it was too late. He was already outside and was walking quickly away from the building.

Kurt took out his phone and fumbled with it as he typed out a hurried text.

**_where are you?_ **

_look up._

Blaine stood in front of Kurt, catching his breath. He was obviously worked up about something, but Kurt felt hurt and betrayed that he took off like he had.

"I'm so, so sorry, Kurt," Blaine said.

"But you promised me, you promised me you'd sing with me. Are you going to run away from all of this again?" Kurt asked, now getting upset.

"I can't. I don't think I can do this," Blaine said.

"Why? What do you mean you can't do this? Are you, do you not want to be with me?" Kurt was devastated.

"No! It's just - I need to get out of here," Blaine almost whined as he stepped back and away from Kurt.

"Blaine!" Kurt yelled after him, but Blaine had turned around and was rushing off down the street. Kurt stood there, immobilized. He watched until Blaine turned a corner and could no longer be seen. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered as a chill traveled through his body. He had left his jacket inside in his haste. The tears that had been burning behind his eyes began to flow down his cheeks, chilling his skin as the cool air hit them. He took out his phone again, hands shaking as he sent out one last text.

**_but you were meant to do this._ **

Kurt never received an answer to the text.

-s-

The next week dragged on for Blaine. When he was at work, he avoided anywhere he might run into Kurt. He had a lot more days off, and when he was home in his empty apartment, he was as miserable as ever. He was angry with himself about the way he had acted that night. He had an abundance of missed calls and text messages from Kurt in his phone, and he hated himself even more not knowing how to answer them.

One day, he passed Kurt in the hall at the station. Kurt smiled at him, but Blaine quickly looked away and kept walking.

A couple more weeks passed, and then Blaine never saw Kurt again. It was the third week of January, and the spring semester had started. Kurt's internship had ended, and he was back at college now. Blaine relaxed knowing that he wouldn't run into Kurt again and that he wouldn't have to confront him. But he felt pathetic, running away from his issues because it seemed convenient, and it hurt him so much. He felt like he lost something very valuable to him, something he could never get back. He was utterly heartbroken.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple weeks passed, it was now February, and Kurt's messages and calls had lessened until he decided to send one final text before giving up altogether.

_**I just want to know that you're okay.** _

Blaine was sitting at his computer in his office when this particular text came through. He scrolled through his contacts and called Kurt.

"Hi." Kurt said quietly as he picked up.

"Hey. Um, Kurt, you probably hate me, the way I treated you, which I completely understand," he paused before continuing, "but I think I'm finally ready to talk to you - that is, if you even want to talk to me," Blaine said.

"I don't hate you. I just want to know what's up. I want to know _why_. I keep thinking that I did something wrong, and I can't figure out what it was."

"I know. I feel it's only fair that I explain myself."

"Please."

"Can we - can we do this face to face? Over coffee? A real coffee date, the one I promised you."

"Are you going to bail on me again?" Kurt asked skeptically.

"No. No, I won't break my promise this time. I feel horrible, and I just need to see you," Blaine said, sounding sincere.

"Okay. Text me the address and the time, and I'll meet you there."

"Thank you, Kurt. This means a lot to me. I'll see you soon then?"

"Yes. See you soon."

They disconnected the call. Blaine sent the address and a time to Kurt. He set his phone down and leaned back in his chair stretching his legs out under his desk. Eventually, he knew he would have to face his demons. He would start with apologizing to Kurt in hopes that they could smooth everything out between them. It wasn't fair what he had done, and he wasn't one to break promises. He decided that he would come up with a way to make it up to him, but, perhaps this time on his terms, in a place he felt much more comfortable.

-s-

Kurt pulled the door open and entered the small coffee shop. He scanned the room until his eyes met a pair of very familiar hazel eyes, ones that he had missed so much. Grinning sadly, he made his way over to the table and sat down across from Blaine.

"What would you like? I waited until you got here because I wasn't sure. You can have anything on the menu," he added, shifting nervously in his seat. "Oh, god, seriously, anything you want."

Kurt laughed because Blaine was being a bit ridiculous the way he was acting, but nervous Blaine was also kind of cute. "Just a grande nonfat mocha. Thank you," Kurt said, looking thoughtfully into Blaine's eyes.

"No problem. I'll be right back."

Kurt watched Blaine order at the counter, and, after a few moments, he returned to the table with their coffees and sat down.

"They also had these silly heart-shaped cookies," he said, "so I got one if you want to split it. I didn't realize it was so close to Valentine's Day. I had almost forgotten that holiday existed," he said, laughing at himself.

"It's kind of a joke holiday anyway," Kurt responded. "Thank you, though. This cookie looks delicious."

Blaine looked down into his coffee and swallowed nervously before he finally gathered the courage to tell Kurt what was bothering him, the reason he had invited him here.

"Listen, Kurt. First of all, I wanted to apologize for running out of 'Callbacks' like I did. I hope you understand when I tell you why I couldn't stay there. Kurt - you're only twenty-one, and I know it never bothered me before, and it still doesn't bother me because I think you're amazing, but I'm practically an old man."

Kurt snickered. "Hardly. But, I'm sorry. Please continue."

"I am though, I never told you before when I should have, but I'm thirty-four, and I didn't belong in a place with college students. Those days are long gone for me, and it's best that I leave them in the past. I mean, I could be your professor! I felt like an imposter sitting there with you guys, like I was trying to pass myself off as someone I wasn't."

"I knew how old you are. Tina told me," Kurt admitted.

"Of course she did," Blaine said rolling his eyes.

"And it still didn't bother me. It doesn't bother me. But I think I understand, and I'm sorry I didn't consider that when I invited you out."

"It's really not your fault. You don't have to apologize. But I'm glad you understand," Blaine said, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a partial grin. "Can we start over? Can I ask you out on another date? But this time, I have a place in mind that's much more appropriate."

"I'd like that," Kurt said.

"And I promise I'll never ignore your calls or texts again no matter what I'm doing," Blaine said. "You'd think that I would be more mature considering, but apparently I kind of suck," he added, hanging his head. Kurt was caught off guard by the last comment which was a bit uncharacteristic of Blaine, but it was the first thing he said that got to him more.

"That's quite a big promise," Kurt said.

"I know. But I mean it."

Now that the burden was lifted, the rest of the date was pleasant as they talked about what Kurt had been up to with school and otherwise. They finished their coffees and made plans for the next date. When Blaine suggested they go out in the evening on Valentine's Day, Kurt raised his eyebrows and laughed but then agreed, teasing Blaine about the fact that he was clueless up until today. But Kurt thought it was really romantic, and he wasn't sure what to look forward to. He was so happy that he and Blaine were talking again after weeks of pining and multiple texts and calls to which he received no answer. He had felt like a fool, but now that he knew Blaine wanted to see him again, it was a huge relief, and his chest filled with warmth.

Before they parted, Blaine wrapped Kurt in an embrace that was long overdue. He held him for longer than he normally would have, wanting nothing more than to never have to let go. But he did, and when he did, a single silent tear ran down Kurt's face. Blaine reached forward, cupped Kurt's cheek in his hand, and wiped the tear away with his thumb. Kurt smiled at his touch. Blaine gently tilted Kurt's head down and kissed his forehead like he had done so many weeks ago as he had slept. After standing outside the shop on the sidewalk for far too long, they finally said their long drawn out goodbyes and parted.

-s-

February fourteenth rolled around, and Blaine suddenly had butterflies in his stomach. He was nervous, but this time it was the good sort of nerves. He wasn't scared about their date because he knew that Kurt understood all of his past misgivings, and had forgiven him. He picked out a nice dress shirt, blazer, and tie for this occasion. He wanted to impress Kurt, and it was important for him to do everything right this time around now that he was lucky enough to be given a second chance.

He was so giddy that he arrived at the restaurant a half-hour earlier than they had planned to meet. As he sat on his phone anxiously checking the time every few minutes, the bartender approached him. Blaine looked up and beamed.

"Blaine Anderson? I haven't seen you here in years! How have you been? I watch you on the news now and again, you're great! But how has everything else been with you? Are you still playing music at all?" Kyle asked.

"That's funny that you should ask that. I've been pretty good. I'm actually waiting for my date," Blaine said, lips curling up in a bashful grin.

"I figured as much considering you'd be _crazy_ to be out alone on Valentine's Day," Kyle stated.

"Yeah, and he's a very special man. I made a promise to him, and I may need a huge favor from you."

"Anything you need, it's yours."

"You still have that piano...?" Blaine asked, crossing his fingers.

"Of course! Are you going to play for us again? We missed you so much. This place has been quiet without your voice, except for the occasional small band here and there. But it's just not the same, ya know?"

"That was exactly the plan," he said smiling brightly.

"Well, then. Whenever you want, the stage is yours!" Kyle said, beaming.

Just then, Kurt entered the restaurant, and Blaine rose to greet him at the door. Kurt looked even more put together than usual, his hair neatly coiffed, not a strand out of place. He was wearing a very dark, wine-colored suit and a matching silk skinny tie. Blaine stood there stunned and stared dumbly at him for a moment, unable to get over how good he looked, but then he composed himself, led Kurt over to the table, and pulled the chair out for him to have a seat.

"Chivalry is not dead, I see. You look so debonair, mister," Kurt said, putting on an air. He giggled as he sat.

" _You_ look really nice tonight, Kurt. I mean, you look so handsome," Blaine said, as he felt a slight blush rise in his cheeks. He sat down and pulled his chair in.

"Thank you, I'm flattered. I do always try to look my best," Kurt said, smiling.

"And you always do," Blaine said sincerely.

"Thank you," Kurt said shyly.

They ordered a bottle of wine with their meals, and they ate and laughed and talked, sometimes teasing each other, but all in good spirits. Blaine finished his second glass of wine, and got up from the table, excusing himself, and acted as if he had to use the men's room. Instead, he walked over to the corner of the restaurant and sat down at the piano which sat on a slightly raised platform. Kurt looked up, just now realizing the piano was there, a smile stretched wide across his face, and he sat up at attention. He couldn't believe it. Blaine turned on the microphone, and the whole restaurant went quiet as the people seated around focused their attention on him.

"Good evening, everyone. I haven't been here in ages, and it feels so odd to be up on this stage again."

Again? Kurt thought.

"I used to play here every now and then way back when I was in graduate school - it was my best kept secret - and I'm glad that I get to serenade you all again on this very special night," Blaine continued.

The other couples in the restaurant smiled at Blaine and a few "aw"s could be heard among the quiet chatter.

"This night is even more special because I'm here with someone who means a lot to me. I'm dedicating this song to that very special someone who came into my life unexpectedly, and now I can't imagine life without him." He paused and looked over at Kurt. "This one's for you, Kurt."

He began playing slowly like he had before as he eased his way back into the music. As soon as Kurt recognized the song, he gasped and covered his mouth as he watched. Then Blaine began to sing.

_You think I'm pretty without any make-up on_   
_You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong_   
_I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down_

_Before you met me, I was alright_   
_But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life_   
_Now every February you'll be my Valentine, Valentine_

_Let's go all the way tonight_   
_No regrets, just love_   
_We can dance until we die_   
_You and I, we'll be young forever_

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream_   
_The way you turn me on, I can't sleep_   
_Let's runaway and don't ever look back_   
_Don't ever look back_

Kurt listened as Blaine sang a very emotional rendition of 'Teenage Dream', and he melted. At the beginning, he was blushing so hard. Blaine's voice was deep and soulful, and Kurt was swooning. By the end of the song, Kurt was moved to tears. He was so proud of Blaine. He was so lucky that he was his.

Everyone in the restaurant broke out into applause.

"Thank you," Blaine said as he rose from the piano bench. He bowed and made his way back over to the table to sit. As soon as he made eye contact with Kurt and saw that he was crying, he panicked for a split second, but then he saw that Kurt was smiling through the tears.

"You're a liar," Kurt said, wiping moisture from his eyes.

"What?! But -"

"You said you weren't very good at singing. You're more than good, you're amazing."

Blaine felt his face heat up, and he looked down at the table. Kurt grabbed his hand.

"No one has ever done anything like that for me before," he said, another wave of tears escaping.

Blaine sat quietly for a moment, contemplating whether or no to go on, to voice what he was really thinking and feeling in this moment.

"I think I love you, Kurt. But - but I don't want to scare you away," he said slowly and hesitantly.

"Don't worry. After what you just did, you'd have to try pretty damn hard to get rid of me," Kurt jested. They both laughed and then became quiet as they sat there across from each other holding hands. The touch was all that mattered.

"When I broke that promise to you, I thought I was going to lose you. Hell, I still think you might just walk out of my life when you find someone your age and never come back. And, quite frankly, I probably don't deserve you. But, Kurt, I know now that I don't want to lose you. You think I would have gotten up on that stage again if I hadn't met you?" Blaine asked, becoming emotional now.

Kurt sniffed quietly and wiped his nose with his napkin. "Can we - can we get out of here?" Kurt asked. "I probably look like a mess, and you keep making me cry."

Blaine laughed. "I'm sorry. Whatever you want."

"I want," he paused, "I want to go back to your place."

Blaine was caught off guard by this request, and it took him a moment to respond.

"Okay," he said, swallowing nervously. Blaine paid the bill and led Kurt out of the restaurant. He hailed a cab, they both climbed in, and it carried them across town to Blaine's apartment.

They entered the building, fingers entwined, and took the elevator up to the fifth floor. They arrived in front of Blaine's door, and he paused to take his key out. He fumbled nervously with it as he unlocked the door, and then pushed it open pulling Kurt inside. As soon as he closed the door, Kurt turned to him.

"Blaine. Thank you for everything. I will never forget what you did tonight. I'm not only extremely proud of you, but I'm also extremely enamored, and that's not the wine talking," he joked before becoming completely serious again. Then, Kurt gently cupped his hands around Blaine's head and slowly brought their lips together. The kiss was deep and passionate, and Blaine became so lost in it, that he forgot where he was. Nothing else mattered in this moment.

Than Kurt pulled away and gazed into Blaine's eyes.

"Let's go to bed," Kurt practically whispered.

Blaine gazed back into those shining blue eyes and nodded. He never could have imagined the night turning out this way.

He led Kurt into the bedroom and closed the door.


	7. Chapter 7

February progressed into March and March into April before they knew it. Kurt was busy with his final semester, and Blaine was busy with work, but they always made time for each other. Sometimes they went out and other times they stayed in and watched movies or cuddled in front of the television not really paying attention to what was on.

On days when Blaine would work long hours, Kurt would come over with takeout or would prepare dinner knowing that Blaine would be exhausted when he got home. And Blaine would thank him profusely, showering him with kisses until Kurt broke out into fits of giggles begging him to stop. After one of these dinners, Kurt had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to an extravagant bouquet of roses and a very delicious piece of caramel chocolate cheesecake. That night was his turn to smother Blaine with somewhat sticky, delicious kisses until they both collapsed onto the bed, a tangle of limbs, catching their breath as they lay there gazing breathlessly and tiredly into each others' eyes.

Things didn't always run smoothly, though. Sometimes Kurt would become withdrawn from stress due to classes or some disagreement he had with Rachel to the point where Blaine would work himself up trying to figure out how to comfort him. He figured out that it was best to leave him alone during these times, and he would eventually come around.

Blaine had his moments, too, when someone would rub him the wrong way at work, and he would walk around the apartment scowling and muttering to himself, completely inconsolable. But then Kurt would leave silly, often crass, sticky notes around in conspicuous places and would keep his distance until Blaine could no longer remain angry and would seek out Kurt telling him how ridiculous he was but that he wouldn't have it any other way. One of these notes, which was strategically placed on a jar of pickles in the refrigerator, actually caused Blaine to spit out a mouthful of water and double over in laughter until it hurt. Kurt would never forget what came after.

The closer they became, the less Blaine noticed or thought about the age difference or felt that anything at all was odd about the relationship. He became more comfortable with himself and felt like he was truly living again.

One day, Blaine was sitting at his desk at work when he pulled out a notepad and began scribbling lyrics down. He soon made a habit out of this. Every time he had any down time, he went right back to writing, until, eventually, he moved over to the piano and began adding music to the words.

After he began to become immersed in the music again, he called up the owner of the restaurant and asked if he could return to play there on Saturday nights. His request was granted with an exceptional amount of enthusiasm, and he started small, playing one or two songs, usually covers, and eventually tried out an original song. He was finally following his dream again and doing what he loved, but he wasn't ready to tell Kurt yet. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity.

-s-

April was drawing to a close, and Kurt was scrambling to prepare for finals week, his last exams before graduation. But as he sat in his apartment, his notes scattered about his desk and bed, he entered into total panic mode. This was it. This was the end. What if he fails everything? What if he doesn't graduate? What happens when he does graduate? What would he do with himself? What would his life be? He paced the room as all of these questions whirled around in his head driving him temporarily insane. He couldn't do this right now. He grabbed his phone, opened his recent calls, and blindly pressed the first on the list.

Blaine's phone rang and, seeing Kurt's name on the caller ID, he quickly answered it.

"Oh thank god. Blaine, I'm freaking out right now. I have all these exams to study for and final projects to complete, and I'm just so stressed out. I don't know what to do or where to start," Kurt spoke frantically.

"Whoa there! Slow down a minute. It's going to be okay -"

"But I just feel so incredibly lost, Blaine," Kurt said, cutting Blaine off.

"Come over," Blaine said simply.

"What? Oh."

"I'll help you through everything. It's going to be alright. You'll do just fine, and, after it's all said and done, you'll look back and laugh at yourself. Trust me," Blaine said.

"But - okay. I'll gather my books and notes and catch the next train," Kurt said, giving in.

"I'll be waiting for you. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either," Kurt said quietly before ending the call.

-s-

When Blaine heard a knock on his door, he rushed to open it only to reveal a very distraught, splotchy-faced, messy-haired Kurt who looked like he hadn't properly slept in days and had obviously been crying way more often than was good for him. Blaine felt so bad for him as he stood there in that state, but he understood because he had been there before too. He remembered a time when he thought college was the end of the world and that earning good grades was the only way he would ever survive. But he soon learned that college is just college and there was so much more to life, things you never learn in school, things that you can never be prepared for.

"Ooh," Blaine practically cooed, unable to hold back a smile. "Look at you. Just come in and sit down. You need to relax."

Kurt shuffled in and dropped his bag onto the floor by the couch with a heavy thud before plopping down onto the couch. He covered his face with his hands and let himself fall dramatically sideways into the cushions.

"Don't look at me. I look horrible," he whined. "I have bags under my eyes and I've been running on coffee alone."

"First of all, you're being a bit of a drama queen, and second of all, you look as handsome as ever," Blaine said.

"Stop lying to me, you ass," Kurt scoffed.

"Hey! I'm not lying. Alright, so you've obviously seen better days, but I don't care how you look."

Kurt looked up at Blaine still frowning.

"Thank you," Kurt said, sitting up again.

"Scoot over," Blaine said, sitting down next to Kurt on the couch. "Just relax for a bit, and then I'll help you study. We'll get through this together," he said as he reached over and began massaging Kurt's shoulders.

"Mmm," Kurt moaned, closing his eyes. "That feels so good."

"Lay down," Blaine said easing Kurt onto his belly. He straddled Kurt's legs and began working out the knots in his upper back as he gradually moved down to his lower back. As Blaine continued to massage Kurt's neck, shoulders, back, and arms, Kurt's reactions became quieter and quieter until they were no more. His breathing was steady as he lay there asleep. Blaine knew that he needed a nap before he could properly function, so he let him sleep for an hour or so.

As Kurt lay unconscious, Blaine flipped open his school bag and began going through his assignments and notes so that he could get a feel for what Kurt had to do. He placed everything on the kitchen counter and organized the work accordingly. He sat reading for a bit, taking mental notes and jotting down some things, before he decided that it was time for Kurt to wake up. He placed a kettle on to boil water for tea; Kurt didn't need more coffee considering the state he was in.

The teapot began to whistle, and Blaine quickly turned off the stove. As the teabag steeped, he walked over to where Kurt was laying and gently shook him.

"Wake up, Kurt," he said softly.

Kurt began to lazily open his eyes, and Blaine walked away and returned with a cup of tea. He sat up slowly and took the mug from Blaine. As the steam rose off the surface of the hot liquid, Kurt watched it swirl upward and dissipate into the air for a moment before blowing on the beverage in attempt to cool it. He took a small sip before setting it down on the coffee table before him.

"I didn't know I fell asleep," Kurt said through a yawn.

"You really needed it," Blaine responded before heading back over to the counter.

"But I need to study."

"And you will. As soon as you wake up a bit more, come on over here and have a seat."

Kurt turned around to peer over the back of the couch and saw that Blaine had all of his notes laid out already.

"Oh my god. You're a lifesaver. Are you sure you really want to do this? I can't promise that I won't have another meltdown."

"But at least if you do I'll be here to help you through it," Blaine said. "And, yes, I'm sure. I know you can do this, but sometimes we all need a little help."

Kurt drank some more of the tea before getting up to sit with Blaine. They spent the remainder of the night working through Kurt's notes, pulling out key ideas, and finishing up the one project he had due. Kurt was feeling much more confident now, and was zipping through much of the work while Blaine was there to help whenever he needed the extra boost.

-s-

Kurt stayed at Blaine's throughout finals week, and Blaine helped him study every night. When it came time to take the first exam, Kurt was well-rested and prepared. Kurt stepped off the shuttle and was headed through campus towards his first final exam when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

_Courage_

He smiled at the text and held his phone to his heart before continuing on.

And, again, before the next final, his phone buzzed.

_I believe in you_

He continued to receive text messages like this every day he had a final, and, when they were all completed, Kurt felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. He was finished. After four years of college, he was finally graduating.

-s-

It was the second week of May, and Kurt sat there in his apartment with Rachel. Tomorrow was his graduation ceremony, and his dad and step-mother were flying in to see him walk. He was overwhelmed. He and Rachel spent the afternoon planning out their outfits together for the following day and spent hours sharing memories and going on and on about how they couldn't believe it was actually over.

Someone important was missing from this celebration process, and he knew he wouldn't have made it through the semester, especially the final week, if it wasn't for Blaine. He grabbed his phone and called him.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine answered cheerfully.

"Hey! I should have told you sooner, but tomorrow's my graduation."

"Trust me, I already knew that," Blaine said laughing.

"Oh. Well, anyway, I would love it if you came."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Blaine said.


	8. Chapter 8

The air was humid, and the sun was beating down on the field off to the side of the campus where there were risers and chairs set up for the ceremony. People were slowly gathering as they met up with family and friends and then began to fill up the seats across from the platform where the graduates would be sitting.

Blaine stood there, head hung, with his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. He kicked at a pebble and then looked around at the crowd. He had come alone, so he would have to find a seat soon. His undershirt was sticking to his skin, and he adjusted his collar in attempt to let air in to cool his overheated body. Although his intention was to look formal for this important event, he now felt like an idiot for wearing a full suit in May. As the seats began to fill up, he made his way over to grab a single chair off to the right near the front.

The ceremony seemed to drag on in the heat as Blaine listened to multiple speeches and celebratory anecdotes from the professors and students. When it finally came time for the graduates to cross the stage and obtain their degrees, Blaine watched for Kurt. As soon as they called "Kurt Hummel", Blaine was on his feet applauding enthusiastically. Kurt saw him out of the corner of his eye and beamed. From a few seats back, Blaine heard a man yell, "That's my boy!" and he whipped his head around to try to catch a glimpse of the source of the voice. He knew Kurt's family was here, but, for a minute, he felt strange being here because he hadn't considered that it was now that he would meet Kurt's parents. He wondered if Kurt had even mentioned anything about him to them.

As the ceremony came to a close, the graduates cleared off the stage, and Blaine watched Kurt as he made his way toward a man and a woman. They hugged as Kurt wiped tears from his eyes and spoke animatedly with them. He handed his cap and the envelope with his degree in it to his dad. Then Kurt began looking around, his eyes searching, until he spotted Blaine. He smiled and waved his hand, gesturing for him to come over as he called his name out.

Blaine smiled back and slowly made his way over to where Kurt stood with his parents.

"Dad, Carole, this is the man I was telling you about," Kurt said, as he introduced Blaine.

"Blaine Anderson," he said, extending his hand out of habit, and they both shook it briefly as they introduced themselves as well.

"Kurt spoke very highly of you," Burt explained, nodding at Blaine. "I've never seen him happier, and that's the most important thing to me."

Carole was still watching Blaine with a curious expression, but it wasn't judgmental. Then she smiled at him as she stood there with her arm linked with Burt's. Blaine relaxed a bit, as he moved in a little closer to Kurt. He listened somewhat awkwardly as Kurt conversed with his dad and step-mother for a few more minutes until they decided that they wanted to head out and hopefully find something to eat at a nice restaurant to celebrate.

"Meet us at the car whenever you're ready," Burt said pointing behind him at the lot. He nodded at Blaine again before turning around and leaving the field with Carole. Blaine figured maybe Burt wasn't a man of many words. Or maybe he just didn't know what to say to Blaine, which he could understand. But what he had said meant a lot to him.

He turned to face Kurt again who stood there before him, his gown now open, and Blaine's stomach suddenly dropped. A faint peal of thunder sounded off in the distance. He wasn't sure exactly why, but meeting Kurt's parents triggered some of Blaine's past doubts and fears. He suddenly became overwhelmed as he took in the sight of Kurt in his post-collegiate garb that he was seconds away from shedding completely to rush off into his future.

"Congratulations, Kurt," Blaine said, but his eyes were sad.

Kurt cocked his head to the side in confusion. He never missed cues like this anymore.

"What's wrong, Blaine?" he asked.

The thunder rumbled again, sounding a bit louder this time.

"It's nothing, it's just that - you're done."

"Yep," Kurt said smiling dazedly, although he could still sense something was off.

"Kurt - this is such a momentous event and time in your life. I just can't believe you invited me," he said.

"Oh, stop it. Of course I did. You're important to me," Kurt said, taking his hands.

"But - you're done. I mean, what comes next?" Blaine paused. "I really don't think we can go on from here -"

A loud burst of thunder cut Blaine off mid sentence. Blaine pulled away.

Kurt's stomach turned, and he bit his lip to stop it from trembling because he knew what was coming next. Not again. This wasn't happening again. After almost losing Blaine the first time, after finally feeling hopeful again, and after all they had been through together the past few months. They had built, and were still building, a relationship and had become so comfortable, so happy. Kurt didn't want to let go, not even now. Lightning flashed in Kurt's peripheral as his eyes began to well up with tears.

"No, Blaine. You're not going to do this right now. Not today, not when everything's been going so well," Kurt said, his voice becoming shaky as he became choked up.

"Then you have to tell me! Tell me, Kurt, that you're serious about all of this, about me!"

"What have I done to make you think that I'm not?!" Kurt let out a strangled yell, riddled with pain. He felt like Blaine had just slapped him across the face with those words.

"I'm too old for you, Kurt!"

"No, not this again!" he shouted, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up.

"Yes! _This_ again! I can't ignore it any longer. I can't go on playing these games, having these illusions that maybe age is just a number, that you're still going to want to be with me when my goddamn hair starts to fall out and you're still _youthful_ as ever," Blaine cried out. "I don't know if I can give you what you need, or how much longer I'll be able to. I don't want to hold you back."

"So this is it? It's really over?" Kurt sniffled. He was finished yelling. He wasn't even angry; his heart was on the verge of completely crumbling.

Blaine stuck his hands in his pockets again, and began to step slowly backward, his face contorted as he fought back tears.

"No, Blaine," Kurt said firmly. He stepped forward, grabbed Blaine's upper arms, and pulled him tightly against his body. "I'm not going anywhere."

The rain began falling suddenly in heavy drops as Blaine stood there wrapped in Kurt's arms, his chest pressed against Kurt's frame. Blaine's body was stiff, but he relaxed as he soaked in the warmth of Kurt's body. There was something so sincere, so comforting about the way Kurt held him that made all his insecurities melt away. Maybe Kurt really was committed. He really was overreacting, and he was being an idiot again.

He pulled away from Kurt, but, still wanting the closeness, grasped his hands, sliding their fingers together and interlocking them before he spoke again.

"In the end, the choice is yours."

Kurt blinked back more tears and nodded.

"You've changed me, Kurt. These last few months have tested me, forced me to face things that I had been running away from for too long. You showed me that it's never too late. To be honest, I didn't really believe you. I thought it was just some naïve notion, but the more time I spent with you, the more alive I felt again, and the more I believed in dreams again," he spoke softly but urgently.

He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing. Kurt stood there listening as the rain soaked through his gown and clothes and down to his skin.

"I started writing music again. I even started performing at my old spot again on the weekends. And - and I've never felt so happy. But I'm so terrified, because it's almost as if things are too good. I think you're going to go off into the world and forget about me, and then everything I've been building and rebuilding will just come crumbling down because it won't matter as much. Because I want someone to share it all with. I want to be with you. You're my muse, Kurt," he finished breathlessly.

Kurt stared at Blaine as he processed everything. Then he began to laugh quietly, which prompted a dejected look from Blaine.

"This is going to be our thing now, isn't it. This is your tempest, Blaine - don't you realize? We're here together, and I'm not leaving you." Thunder rumbled loudly nearby.

Blaine gave Kurt a baffled look, but then his eyes grew wide in recognition. He shook his head in disbelief, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"'We are such stuff as dreams are made on' -" Blaine recited.

"'And our little life is rounded with a sleep'," Kurt finished the phrase.

"You remembered," he said, barely audible now.

"Yes."

Blaine couldn't hold his tears in any longer, and he didn't care how it might look. This time he initiated the hug, and he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and dug his face into his shoulder.

"You've changed me too, Blaine. You made me care about things and think about things in ways that I never would have before. I might have seemed confident before, but most of the time it was an act. But now - being with you has changed everything."

Then Blaine tilted his head up and pressed his lips hard against Kurt's. This time it was more than static electricity; lightning literally struck all around them, and thunder rolled through the surrounding air, reverberating off the nearby buildings. Blaine gripped onto Kurt as they slid their lips together, Kurt's mouth falling open in surrender to Blaine as he slid his tongue into Kurt's mouth. He wanted to taste him, to be as close as possible.

They finally broke off the kiss, and stood there, faces still close, Blaine's nose nearly to Kurt's cheek as they caught their breath. Then Blaine stepped back and began searching in his jacket for something. Kurt's curious eyes followed his movements.

"Here - this is for you. Sorry it's a little wet now," Blaine said, handing Kurt an envelope that was just the right size to hold a card.

"Thank you. You didn't have to give me anything. You coming here was enough," Kurt said, taking the card and gripping it tightly against his chest.

"Your parents are waiting for you, and I don't want to intrude," Blaine said, looking down at the muddy ground. "I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah," Kurt said, softly.

Blaine turned around and began walking off the field. Kurt looked on until he turned the corner around one of the buildings and disappeared.

-s-

Kurt climbed into the back of the SUV and pulled the door closed. Burt shifted the gear into drive, and they began rolling off away from the campus.

He placed the soggy envelope in his lap and examined Blaine's tidy scrawl on the front where he had written Kurt's name. It was a bit smudged, but Kurt ran his fingers across the paper, tracing the letters. Then he turned it over and lifted the flap. As he pulled out the card, he felt something shift inside it. He placed the empty envelope aside, and, just as he opened the card, a small, metal object fell out into his lap. It was a key. He reached down and picked it up, gripping it firmly between his fingers, and then turned his attention back to the inside of the card and read:

 

* * *

 

_Kurt,_

_I don't want to simply say congratulations. I want to say that I make a living making predictions. But of all the predictions I've made, and most of them have been accurate, there is one that I never could have made, something I never could have seen coming. It was you, Kurt. You blew in and hit harder than any storm, and I couldn't prepare myself for the consequences. And I learned that you were just the storm I needed to rock me from the life I was living in which I was too comfortable and settling for what I believed was the life I deserved. And I thought I knew what I was doing. The funny thing about age is that it doesn't always make you wiser. You taught me that there are some things you can never be prepared for, and there are some things science and logic can't explain, that don't have to follow a prescribed path or set of rules. Things like passion and dreams. Things like love.  
_

_\- Blaine_

 

* * *

 

 

Kurt glanced down to read the short phrase written underneath the signature:

_"Or does it explode?"_

He wondered what it meant.

Just then, lightning flashed across the sky followed by a loud peal and crackle of thunder. Kurt closed the card and set it aside. His eyes were wet again. This is what Blaine had meant when he said that, in the end, the choice was his. He knew that the key was to Blaine's apartment, and he held it to his heart as he smiled through the tears that ran silently down his cheeks. The rain beat heavily against the glass of the car windows as they drove along, the campus in the rearview gradually fading out of sight.


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the story cutting off like it does and for the huge time jump in the epilogue. This story was originally only a one shot that was turned into an entire 'verse and was posted unbeta'd. However, by request, their is an extension to the story in a series of one shots called "It's All Up in the Stars", and it's even longer than this first half of the story. Check it out if you would like. :)

Fingertips lightly brushed across Kurt's cheek, and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked tiredly as his brain registered the man on the bed next to him, and then he grinned and gazed into those dreamy hazel eyes. He thought he must be dreaming still. They looked like warm honey or coffee, and, just then Kurt's stomach rumbled.

Blaine chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I've just the solution for that. I went down to the deli this morning and bought your favorite bagels."

"Mm. Good thinking. You, sir, are a genius," Kurt yawned as he stretched and sat up.

"It  _is_  a very special day," he kissed Kurt on the forehead, "so I thought you deserved something special."

Kurt flexed his fingers, his eyes drifting over to his fourth finger on his left hand. The white gold band had decorated that finger for nearly eight years now. But it wasn't their anniversary yet, Kurt knew that, so he wondered what on earth was so special about today. It also wasn't a birthday or a holiday, and he didn't remember having anything planned.

There was such a glisten in Blaine's eyes that Kurt began to get anxious as he sat there, his mind reeling as he tried to figure it out before Blaine told him.

"Wait here," he said, rising from the edge of the bed. I'll bring the food to you!" Then he practically bounced away out of the room with that dopey puppy dog look on his face that Kurt had come to love. Even on a forty-six-year-old Blaine, it was still adorable.

A few minutes later, Blaine walked back into the room with a tray topped with orange juice, two eggs, and, of course, Kurt's favorite everything bagel from the deli a few blocks down that they had found accidentally while on a stroll a few days after they moved into their new apartment. It was possibly one of the best accidents to happen to them. Well, besides that time a very young bright-eyed intern accidentally bumped into an older, incredibly dashing meteorologist.

"Breakfast in bed? You spoil me so much!" Kurt said, smiling.

Just then, Blaine slid a very large and heavy-looking envelope out of the drawer of the nightstand on his side of the bed. Kurt was mid bite of his bagel when he noticed what Blaine was holding.

"What is that?" he asked after chewing and swallowing the piece of bagel. "This feels like college acceptance all over again, only that was sixteen years ago." Whoa, now Kurt was beginning to feel like an old man. Of course, large envelopes still almost always meant good things. Like the day a few years ago when he had received the one from Random House about his novel and nearly had a heart attack.

"Just open it," Blaine said excitedly. "It came last week, but I wanted to wait to give it to you when I could make the moment perfect."

Kurt took the envelope and eyed it curiously. He looked at the return address, and his heart skipped a beat. His hands began to shake as he slowly ripped open the seal. He slid out the cover letter, and as he began to read, a smile spread across his face, and his eyes welled up with tears.

"They're - they want to produce my movie."

"Yes," Blaine said now climbing across the bed to wrap an arm around Kurt. "And to think you were about to give up. It's never too late, Kurt, to pursue your dreams. A very wise young man told me that once, and boy am I glad I listened to him."

"Yes, mister two time Grammy nominee," Kurt said, lightly punching Blaine on the arm.

"Ooh, I was so close too!" He laughed. "But that's nothing compared to my handsome New York Times bestseller novel-writing husband whose screenplay has just been chosen for production by Universal."

"It just doesn't feel real," Kurt said quietly.

"But it is, and you worked so hard and deserve this," Blaine said.

"I love you so much," Kurt said, setting the envelope down and leaning into Blaine.

"I love you more than anything in the world," Blaine responded, now wrapping both arms around Kurt's torso.

"I never stopped believing in you and in us," Kurt said.

"Didn't I tell you we'd get through this together?" Blaine asked, letting go of Kurt.

"Here's to many more years of us - to life," Kurt said, lifting his glass of orange juice and laughing before leaning over to give Blaine a quick peck on the mouth.

"I was an idiot all those years ago," Blaine said.

"But you wised up and put a ring on it," Kurt mused, grinning playfully at Blaine.

"That was the best decision I've ever made in my life."

"And saying yes was mine."

It was silent as they both sat there soaking in the moment and revisiting the past few years in their minds. Blaine let out a heavy sigh.

"Finish up your breakfast, because we've got a few errands to run today before preparation for tonight. You better believe that we're celebrating this! I've got reservations at someplace fancy, and I sorta invited everyone," Blaine explained. "Even your parents and step-brother and his wife are flying out for the occasion."

"Oh no," Kurt sighed and then laughed. "I was hoping to spend this perfect day in bed with you," he said, running his fingers through Blaine's curls as Blaine leaned into the touch. "Well, I guess I better find a nice suit to wear," he said after he chewed his last bit of food and swallowed.

"This calls for something new. We'll go out shopping," Blaine said, beaming.

-s-

When they arrived outside the hotel, Kurt realized that these weren't just reservations at someplace fancy. Upon entering the hotel and looking around, Kurt noticed that Blaine had rented out the grand ballroom in order to throw an extravagant party in his honor. The place was already full once he set foot in the building, and, as he scanned the room, he realized that Blaine literally did invite everyone. This was the largest group of family and friends he had been surrounded by since their wedding. There were probably even more people here who they had met over the past few years in their work and travels.

"We've really missed you down at the station," Tina said before taking another sip of champagne. "You had to go off and become a rock star," she winked.

"Hardly, Tina. I'd call it easy listening, maybe folk," Blaine said, swirling his drink around in the glass.

"So, you don't see him on television reporting the weather, but you get to watch him on red carpets now," Cecilia said.

"Alright, guys, enough about me. Tonight's about Kurt," Blaine said, rolling his eyes at his two former coworkers and friends who never stopped gushing over him these days.

But his mind wandered as he played back over the past twelve years of his life. When he and Kurt started to become serious, he had begun playing music again, yes, but it was only an occasional thing. At first, people would hear that the local weatherman was playing gigs downtown, and people became curious, piling into the restaurant expecting a spectacle and maybe something good for a laugh. Perhaps some regurgitated pop tunes or some karaoke grade performance, but they never expected anything serious. Pretty soon, news got out around town that he was actually really good. This is when Tina finally found out that he had been hiding this from her for so many years. That was certainly a  _fun_  night, but she was so proud of him and made sure everyone knew that Blaine was her best friend.

The news station began teasing him about it, and eventually his performances leaked into portions of the news. Over the next four years, he continued to play and write more music more often on his days off. The crowds that came to see him grew larger and larger, until, one night, a local record label sent out a scout to watch him play, and, to his surprise, approached him at the end of the night to tell him how much they loved his work. He was given a business card, and one thing led to another.

Quitting his job at the news station was one of the most difficult things he had to do in his life, and leaving was bittersweet. It was his second home, the place he had been comfortably employed for nearly twelve years. Leaving a career that offered him so much stability seemed idiotic. But Blaine was ready to take off and take a chance on his dream. The door was open wide, and he was ready to run through it before it slammed shut again, maybe forever.

It was the night he said yes to the label that Blaine proposed to Kurt, and it was that night that Kurt said yes to Blaine and made him the happiest man alive.

So he signed onto the label, began touring, and not too long after found himself walking red carpets and receiving nominations for things he never could have dreamed of. And it was overwhelming at first, especially when there were periods of time when he was separated from Kurt. Everything seemed like a blur, a big, happy, ridiculous blur now, but it was all worth it.

Two albums later, and he decided that he wanted to settle down and spend as much time with Kurt as possible, because he had already missed too much and didn't know how much longer he would have.

Blaine glanced across the room and spotted Kurt by the bar with Finn and his wife Michele. He excused himself, and hurried over to wrap an arm around Kurt's waist as he continued his conversation. He wanted everyone in the room to know that Kurt was his, but, of course, how could they not already know?

Kurt leaned into Blaine and slid his arm up to rest on the small of his back. Kurt still couldn't believe that any of this was actually happening and that this was his life.

The night after his college graduation was the night his whole life changed. When he showed up to Blaine's apartment and placed his key in the door, he felt like he was walking into the best future he never imagined. He will never forget the surprised and euphoric expression that took over Blaine's face that night when he walked in the door, and how he dropped the dishes he had in his hands and ran to scoop Kurt up in his arms. The plates lay there broken, the scattered pieces forgotten on the floor the remainder of the night.

Bachelor's degree in hand, Kurt found a day job working at a small library in town where he assisted with technology, so he would still have evenings with Blaine and time to work on his writing. At first, he wrote screenplays, but the more he surrounded himself with literature and the more he and Blaine discussed narratives and poetry, Kurt was inspired and soon found himself writing a novel.

When he was nearly finished writing, Blaine proposed. With this new burst of excitement and encouragement and support from Blaine, he sent his work out to several publishers and received multiple rejection letters, but he never gave up. He spent the time that Blaine was away on tour planning the wedding, and right after his twenty-sixth birthday, they were married. Just before his twenty-seventh birthday, the big envelope came in the mail.

His novel rose to the top of New York Times bestseller list in a matter of weeks.

And now, Kurt's story would be adapted for the silver screen because they loved his screenplay. It's funny how things work out sometimes, he thought.

_"Or does it explode?"_  The phrase would play over and over in his head from time to time.

Kurt knew what it meant now. He and Blaine had discussed the poem many times since, and he wasn't surprised when he discovered Blaine's stash of American poetry from Whitman, Hughes, and a few more recent poets such as Doty. His first thought was that the box he found under the bed was a stash of dirty magazines or films, but when he slid off the lid of the box, he burst into laughter. The fact that this was Blaine's guilty pleasure made Kurt love him that much more. It also made for some interesting pillow talk that night.

A dream deferred. Kurt never could have known that his plans would be thrown off course and would take an interesting and unexpected turn before they swooped back around and everything fell into place. So, now that he was thirty-three, the book and this film were the manifestation of his dreams. The important thing is that he never gave up. His dream may have been delayed, but, now, it was exploding into a beautiful, cosmic mass of free energy.

Blaine knew that his time in the spotlight was over. His life had changed so drastically over the course of a decade. He had been blessed with the opportunity to live his dream, even if it had taken years to get there. But if it hadn't been for Kurt, he never would have made an effort. Now, he felt, was Kurt's turn to shine, and he would gladly stand back and proudly present him to the world.

They supported each other through and through, and their love for each other, although unorthodox in many people's eyes, was exceedingly strong, and no one could sever the connection between them.

The band that Blaine had hired for the evening began playing something familiar, something a little slower, and many of the couples began gathering on the dance floor in front of the stage. Blaine turned and locked eyes with his brilliant husband who grew more handsome with age.

"May I have this dance," he asked, extending his hand to Kurt.

"You don't even have to ask," he said, taking Blaine's hand. "I'm yours."

"And I'll never forget that," he led Kurt out onto the floor, placed his hands around his waist, pulling him in close, and leaned his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes. They swayed slowly in time to the music as the song played out. It was just the two of them, in each others' arms, and the touch was all that mattered.


End file.
